Fireside Tales
by starlight.moon.princess
Summary: "The two of them sat down in their booth and, for the next few hours, it was like the world outside disappeared into nothingness. It was only the two of them, lost in each other. " ::Harry and Draco's first date::


**For PetalBetweenTheRoseThorns, who requested a Drarry first date fic. I hope you like it :3**

* * *

It was their first date. Well, it was their first official date according to Draco. Harry thought the two of them had been on a number of dates before, but apparently, it didn't count as official if you were still in Hogwarts.

So, it was their first date, and Harry was completely fine. He was not nervous at all. He had no reason to be. He had chosen the perfect time and the perfect place and the perfect restaurant. See? No nerves at all. Except for the funny feeling he had in his stomach as he went to get dressed, like butterflies fluttering around, trying to make him sick.

Okay, maybe he was nervous.

But Harry couldn't figure out why he was so nervous. The two of them had been alone together – _they weren't dates_ – before. He knew they could hold up a decent conversation. He knew that he'd chosen the perfect time for their date. It was the middle of December; the one time there was no chance of rain ruining their plans. He'd owled the Three Broomsticks to make reservations for their fireside booth. It was one of the few with privacy charms around it, plus sitting by the fireside was a romantic thing to do.

Right?

No. No, he was _not_ second-guessing himself. His arrangements were perfect. He knew Draco loved winter. That was one of the many things he had subconsciously picked up during his years of watching Draco to make sure he wasn't up to something evil. His eyes would always light up when the cold made its way to Hogwarts and its surrounding areas. He would get more animated and excited over the smallest of things. And Harry loved seeing him flushed from the cold, wrapped up in a warm scarf and coat, so it was a win-win situation for the both of them.

Harry had been pacing in front of the Slytherin dormitories for almost ten minutes, working himself up into a nervous flurry, when the door finally opened to reveal Draco. He was looking even more handsome than usual, dressed snugly in his winter wear. His usually immaculate hair was slightly mussed up, and Harry had to physically prevent himself from reaching out and messing it up even more.

The two of them walked towards the main doors in silence, mainly due to Harry's inability to say anything. His mind was running at a million miles an hour, trying to think of something, anything, to say to Draco.

"So…nice weather, yeah?" he finally blurted out when they walked outside the castle. He immediately started cursing himself in his head. The _weather_! He was asking Draco about the _weather_!

And to make matters worse, Draco burst out into laughter. Before Harry could scramble and cover up his stupidity, Draco linked his hand through Harry's, turning to face him. "I think we've progressed past talking about the weather, haven't we, Harry? We have loads more subjects in common that we can talk about apart from the weather." His eyes were twinkling in amusement as he said this.

Harry smiled back, relieved that he hadn't messed things us irreparably. He knew it was silly, but he couldn't help but worry that if this date wasn't good enough, Draco would decide that _he_ wasn't good enough for the Malfoy heir.

And Harry didn't think he'd be able to bear that. Not after he'd gone and fallen in love with the other boy.

If someone had told him during First Year that he'd be in love with and dating Draco Malfoy in seven years' times, he would have asked them to check their mental health. But during this "eighth year," Harry had seen a completely different side of Draco now that he didn't have the threat of Voldemort to worry about.

The real Draco, _Harry's_ Draco, was more than just a pretty, spoiled face. He was caring, thoughtful, intelligent, and surprisingly shy. These, and a million other things, had entranced Harry. He hadn't stood a chance against the boy's natural charm. Falling in love with him had been easy.

The two of them discussed Quidditch statistics during the walk to Hogsmeade, the awkwardness between them dispelled after Draco's thoughtful words.

When they had nearly reached the village, Harry felt himself getting nervous again. What if there was a problem with the reservations? There was no other alternative in Hogsmeade apart from Madam Pudifoot's, and Harry doubted Draco would like that place any better than he did. And going into the Hog's Head was something Harry didn't know if he could stand – it was extremely likely that the place would bring back the memories of _that night_, and he didn't want anything to spoil this day.

"So, where are we heading?" Draco asked him, effectively halting his train of thought.

"The three Broomsticks," Harry replied nervously. "I've got reservations for that private booth near the fire."

Draco raised an eyebrow, clearly impressed. "That's a feat," he said. "How on earth did you manage to get those seats on a Hogsmeade weekend?"

"Being famous does have its advantages," Harry said, grinning now that he was sure his plan had gone over well.

The temperature inside the pub was warmer than it was outside, and Harry, slightly saddened, as Draco removed his coat, scarf and gloves. Any disappointment vanished, however, as soon as he saw what Draco was wearing under his warm clothing. The pair of tight fitting jeans that emphasized every line of his body, and a casual, button-down navy blue shirt he was wearing made him look absolutely stunning.

"Draco," Harry whispered in awe, unable to continue.

Draco smiled, looking extraordinarily pleases with the reaction he had evicted from Harry. "You say the nicest things," he said, laughter dancing in his eyes.

"But I didn't say any –"

"I know, Harry," Draco said patiently. "That was the compliment."

"Oh."

The two of them sat down in their booth and, for the next few hours, it was like the world outside disappeared into nothingness. It was only the two of them, lost in each other. During that hour, Harry learned more about Draco than he ever had before. He learned that Draco's favourite colour was the emerald green of his house, though it was because Harry's eyes were the same shade. He learned that until he was five, Draco's greatest desire was to be one of father's peacocks, because he thought the were "pretty." In return, Harry told him about many of the adventures he, Ron and Hermione had been on that weren't public knowledge. He told him about the time the three of them had decided to slip Zonko's food colouring into the Weasley twins' food, turning them yellow for three days without a way to turn back. He told him how he and Sirius had played pranks on Remus nearly daily during the summer before his fifth year, and how Sirius had insisted that they make it a tradition when he returned to stay with him this summer.

By the time they were done with their meal, it seemed as though they had spent barely a few minutes talking, instead of the few hours it actually was. As Harry paid for the date, he couldn't stop grinning. The day had gone better than he had ever hoped for, and there was still the walk back to Hogwarts to look forward to.

When the two of them walked out, Harry was surprised to see that it had snowed during the time they were in the Three Broomsticks. The town was covered with snow, making it look like it should be on a Muggle Christmas card. He opened his mouth to share his thoughts with Draco, but the boy's delighted laughter stopped him.

Turing to face Draco, Harry saw a rare, unguarded moment of absolute happiness on his face.

"This is perfect," Draco laughed. "A perfect way to end our date. Come on Harry," he said, pulling the black-haired boy into the middle of the street.

"Draco, what -?"

"Dancing in the rain is so cliché, Harry. Dancing in the snow is so much better!"

Quickly realising what his boyfriend was talking about, Harry returned his laugh, wrapping his arms around Draco. The two of them danced in the snow for what felt like hours, but was probably not more than a few moments, uncaring of who saw them.

And then Draco leaned in and kissed him, lips cold from being outside in the snow, but still warm and more perfect than anything Harry had ever felt before.

As the two boys kissed in the snow, in the middle of Hogsmeade, Harry knew that all of his worries had been useless. He couldn't imagine a more perfect date than here, with this particular boy.

* * *

_For:_

_The Create-A-Potion Challenge_

_The If You Dare Challenge, Prompt 614. Kissed_

_OTP Bootcamp, Prompt 28. Playful_

_Slash/Femmeslash Bootcamp, Prompt 44. Excitement_

_The Key Signature Competition, A major_

_HP Potions Competition, Beautification Potion_

_Holiday Category Competition, Valentine's Day_

_6 Senses Competition, Soft (feel)_

_Magical Creatures Challenge, Red-Cap_


End file.
